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He got pulled after a period Dec. 28
CHARLOTTE, N. Don Buse Jersey .C. -- Al Jefferson is happy he didnt make the All-Star game. Kemba Walker said it might be a huge blessing for the Charlotte Bobcats that the big man got a few days off to rest his 29-year-old legs for the stretch run, particularly with four games in five nights coming out of the break. "Im glad he didnt make it either," Walker said with a laugh. "Hes fresh now. And you dont have to make the All-Star game to be an All-Star. I know hes a great player and unguardable in the post." Jefferson dominated the Pistons for the third time this season Wednesday night, and Walker played his best game since returning from an ankle injury to lead the Bobcats to back-to-back wins over Detroit, 116-98. Jefferson scored 29 points, while Walker had 24 points and a career-high 16 assists. The win gives the Bobcats (25-30) a sweep of the season three-game series and a 2 1/2-game lead over the Pistons in the race for the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. "We had a bad reputation around this league for a long time, at least since Ive been here," Walker said. "Coach (Steve Clifford) has done a great job of changing the culture. We just want to win. We dont want to be those Bobcats where guys come in here and beat us up every night." The 6-foot-10, 289-pound Jefferson, who had 32 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in Tuesdays 108-96 win at Detroit, went 12 of 20 from the field and grabbed eight rebounds. He has scored at least 20 points in 16 of the last 18 games and barely missed his seventh 30-point game in the last 10 games. Jefferson said the Bobcats (25-30) are playing their best basketball of the season as they gear up for the stretch run and a shot at the franchises second career playoff appearance. "We have been a top 10 on defence all year," Jefferson said. "But now our offence is picking up and were learning how to play with each other." Frustration seems to be setting in for the Pistons, who have lost nine of 14. Brandon Jennings had 20 points for Detroit before being ejected from the game with 1:13 left after picking up his second technical foul for arguing a call. Jennings did not speak to the media after the game. "We definitely have to do a better job as a team of keeping our composure, especially in tough games like this," teammate Greg Monroe said. "Down the stretch these games mean a lot. You know, keeping a level head and playing hard, as a team is something were going to have to do." Coach John Loyer said its not too late to regroup. "Its two games," Loyer said. "Granted its two that we wanted to get, two we needed to get, but we didnt get them. You move on. You figure out your next plan and you just try to go win the next game." Josh McRoberts chipped in with 15 points for the Bobcats and Ramon Sessions had 10 points and 10 assists off the bench. But its Jefferson who is setting the tone. "We are just getting acclimated to Al," Walker said. "It took a little while but we know how to play with him and play off him. He makes all the right plays. All we have to do is get him the basketball in the right spots all we have to do is make shots." The Bobcats led by six at halftime, but opened the second half with a 17-3 tear to take a 70-50 lead behind 3-pointers from Walker, McRoberts and Gerald Henderson. The Pistons got within nine in the fourth quarter, but McRoberts buried a pair of 3-pointers and Walker hit a jumper to put the Bobcats safely ahead. Loyer stressed before the game the importance of starting fast, but Monroe and Josh Smith combined to miss their first 14 shots. Meanwhile the Bobcats got off to a fast start for the second straight night, hitting 7 of 9 shots to start the game and build a double-digit first quarter lead. Cody Zeller brought immediate energy and production off the bench for the Bobcats with a career-high three blocked shots. NOTES: Former South Carolina Gamecocks defensive end and top NFL draft prospect Jadeveon Clowney attended the game. ... Charlotte had lost five straight games at home to Detroit prior to Wednesday night. ... The more aggressive Bobcats dominated on the boards, outrebounding the Pistons 49-31. Mikal Bridges Jersey .C. -- The Carolina Hurricanes have activated defenceman Joni Pitkanen from injured reserve. Frank Kaminsky Jersey . - David Tomasek had two goals in regulation time and was the lone scorer in the shootout as the Belleville Bulls upset the Oshawa Generals 6-5 on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action.ST. LOUIS -- Blues coach Ken Hitchcock switched Patrick Berglunds position with hopes of getting the forward going. After the way the move paid off, Hitchcock might want to make the change permanent. Berglund scored twice after moving from centre to left wing at the start of the second period, and Vladimir Sobotka and Alex Pietrangelo each had a goal and an assist as the St. Louis Blues beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-2 Saturday night for their fifth straight win. The two goals pushed Berglunds total to six, after a slow first half. "I dont think I can think about it too much," Berglund said. "Obviously, its been slow, but if I start thinking about it, changing the way I played, that would change the way I prepared, too. Ive just been working even harder in practice, shooting more pucks and trying to get it going that way." Hitchock switched Berglund from centre to left wing for just the second time since taking over the Blues early in the 2011-12 season. Columbus, which led 2-0 lead after the first period, has lost three of four after winning three in a row. Three of the Blues past five wins were at home, where they have won four straight. Despite injuries to key players such as David Backes and Alexander Steen, Hitchcock said his team is playing its best this season. "I think weve played some really good hockey in the last four games at home. I think thats what were happiest about," he said. "Weve got a way of playing now. I think what weve done here at home is weve developed a balance between offence and defence." St. Louis, off to its best start midway through a season with 63 points, has scored at least five goals in five of its past eight games. Maxim Lapierre gave St. Louis its first lead at 3-2 with his fifth goal just 94 seconds after Sobotkas sixth goal tied it at 17:29 of the second period. St. Louis got on the board about seven minutes into the second period when Barret Jackmans shot from the right side glanced off Berglund. The puck hit the far post and trickled past Curtis McEhlinney. His second goal came 17 seconds into the third when he deflected a pass into the goal. "Today, I had pretty much two lucky bounces but good things happen when you go to the net," he said. Paul Westphal Jersey. Jaden Schwartz added his 15th goal about midway through the third to make it 5-2. Hes scored in seven of his last eight games. Pietrangelo finished the scoring with about six minutes remaining. "We played a 20-minute game, tonight," Columbus coach Todd Richards said. "They made a push and got their game to another level and we were unwilling to do that. They played a real simple game. We stopped skating. Our compete level wasnt nearly good enough. Body language wasnt good coming off the ice. "Eventually there has to be a response. I didnt like the way we reacted to it," he added. St. Louis goalie Brian Elliott has won 13 consecutive home games, extending a franchise record he set with a 5-0 shutout against Los Angeles on Thursday. McElhinney stopped 31 shots. Elliott faced 23, making 21 saves. Mark Letestu gave the Blue Jackets a 2-0 lead midway through the first. His shot from outside the left circle hit a Blues defender and popped over Elliott for his second goal of the season. The Blue Jackets took a 1-0 lead four minutes into the game. Artem Anisimov, standing alone in the middle of the zone with his back to Elliott, took a pass from Brandon Dubinsky. He whipped around and slapped a shot past Elliott, who didnt move as if he didnt see the shot. It was the 12th goal of the year for Anisimov. "We got off to kind of a rocky start in the first," Berglund said. "But, really, the whole team really grabbed it in the second and third." NOTES: St. Louis D Jordan Leopold saw his first action since being activated from injured reserve. He was out since November with a torn ligament in his right hand. ... Blues G Joroslav Halak missed his fourth consecutive game with flu-like symptoms. He got pulled after a period Dec. 28 against Chicago before sitting the next four, all St. Louis wins. Hes expected to make the start of a three-game trip starting Tuesday at Edmonton. ... St. Louis RW David Backes returned after missing three games with an upper-body injury and had two assists. ' ' '
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Activity: May 25 '20
